This invention is related generally to tools used by roofers, and, more particularly, to tools used by roofers in removing roofs from buildings having a base roofing material of wood shingles.
Typically, a major task confronted by roofers when hired to install a new roof is the removal of the old roof. The removal of an existing roof before installing a new roof is sometimes desirable or required due to physical age and/or deterioration and leaking, or because of aesthetic reasons. Furthermore, locally enacted fire codes may require old roof removal before replacement where the weight of the existing roof is too great to safely sustain an additional layer on top of the existing roof.
One of the difficulties faced by roofers in the removal of an existing roof is that, in the case of roofs on older homes, there may be a layer of wood shingled roof under one or more layers of asphalt shingles, all of which must be removed before the new roofing material can be attached. Much of the roofing material to be removed is therefore not visible since it is covered by the more recent layers.
Furthermore, it is not necessarily immediately apparent to the roofer, in examining an old roof from the top layer, how many layers of shingles may exist at any one point on the roof and where each of those shingles may be attached by nails to the layer below it or to the roof base.
In a typical pre-1960""s built home, the roof base consists of flat wooden boards placed horizontally and in parallel fashion side by side across the surface to be roofed, from the walls of the structure to the peak of the roof, with narrow gaps between the parallel boards. A roof at that time was constructed by fastening wooden shingles to the wooden base boards with nails and a hammer, working from the lower portion of the roof to the peak. In more recent years, the use of asphalt shingles has become more popular and these have been affixed directly on top of an existing shake roof.
The prior art provides no easy method for roof removal. The primary method used today requires hard manual work on the part of a roofer. Typically, the roofer removes the multiple layers of existing roof using brute force and body strength, assisted only by simple hand tools. These hand tools, such as pitchforks and spades, are tools that may be primarily designed for other applications, such as farming, although there are known to be spades made just for roofing. For example, there is a spade made for roofing with a pivot type of bracket to help lift off roofing, as well as a spade-like tool with a rachet type spade head to lift off shingles. Mallets and wood splitters have also been made for use in roof removal. Generally, power tools are not as effective for roof removal, although jack hammers have been known to be used for this purpose. Such tools are difficult and potentially hazardous when used in roof removal since the task is accomplished at potentially life-threatening heights, and a sloping and uneven roof surface provides less than sure footing for workmen. Furthermore, such power tools tend to be heavy, noisy and cause extreme vibration, which could also be hazardous to the workmen involved.
The hand tools available to a roofer to assist him in roof removal are generally pitchforks or spades. Such tools are forcefully inserted as far as possible in a horizontal direction parallel to, and under the edge of, the bottom surface of the roofing material. Often, nails are hit in the process because they are scattered throughout the roof and each layer of roof in somewhat unpredictable fashion since they are used to attach each shingle to the layer below. Repeatedly hitting nails, which is typical in the use of prior art hand tools in the task of roof removal, slows down the process of roof removal. It creates inefficiency and is jarring to the workman. When a nail is hit before the tool is fully inserted under the old roofing material, not as much surface area of the roof can be removed in each thrust of the tool. Hitting nails also requires a repositioning of the tool to avoid the nail and sometimes several thrusts must be made before the workman is able to position the tool in such a manner that he can fully load the tool with roofing material.
In the prior art method of roof removal, the tool is inserted under the roofing material and the material above the tool is loosened and lifted by the roofer by using brute strength and the weight of his body to lean forward on the handle of his tool and thereby force the material in an upwardly direction away from the surface of the roof base. Basically, roof removal is accomplished by repeatedly pushing the flat edge of the spade or pitchfork between the shingles and the roof, and engaging the shingles horizontally to loosen the roofing material from the surface of the roof base. In this manner, the roofing material is slowly chiseled off of the roof until all roofing material is removed. Such activity requires great strength on the part of the roofer. The repeated motion required and the jarring effect of repeatedly hitting nails under the old method and with the prior art tools used for roof removal is very stressful on the workman""s body. All of these prior art tools and methods require a manner of use that results in repeated pounding and impact on the workman""s wrists and elbows, creating an increased possibility of injury.
It is an object of this invention to provide a roof removal tool that is less physically stressful on the roofer""s body than known tools presently in use.
Another object of this invention to provide a roof removal tool that requires less physical force to use than preexisting devices.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a roof removal tool that makes the task of roof removal more efficient and allows a roof to be removed in less time than is required with the use of existing tools.
Yet another object of this invention to provide a roof removal tool that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is an object of this invention to provide a roof removal tool that is uniquely designed and suited for the task for which it is used.
Another object of this invention is to provide a roof removal tool that is easy to transport to a job site and to safely use on a roof.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a design that will prevent the roofer from hitting nails in the old roof as the job of roof removal is accomplished.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a tool that engages the roofing material vertically and on both the top and bottom layers of the material, to provide better hold and leverage in removal of such layers.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a method for roof removal which is more efficient and which requires less physical force to accomplish than the method used in the prior art.
A further object of this invention is to provide a tool that can be used in engaging and lifting other material from a surface, such as patio blocks or bricks.
These and other important objects will be apparent from the following descriptions of this invention which follow.
The invention involves a device for lifting material from a surface, such device having a handle and a body. The body has an upper attachment length and a lower length. The upper attachment length is attached to the handle and the lower length has a lower length axis there through. The lower length is connected to an upper arm and a lower arm. The upper arm is connected to the lower length at an upper arm attachment site and the lower arm is connected to the lower length at a lower arm attachment site. There is a distance along the length of the lower length between the upper arm attachment site and the lower arm attachment site. The upper arm and the lower arm extend generally parallel to each other in a direction ninety degrees or greater from the lower length axis. One known way that the device can be used is where the material is shingles and the surface is a roof, although the device could be used in other lifting tasks as well.
In a preferred embodiment of the device, a reinforcing bar connects the upper arm with the lower arm of the device. The reinforcing bar may be generally perpendicular to the upper arm and the lower arm, but can be attached at other angles. The device can also be made with various arm lengths. However, the upper arm may be longer than the lower arm, particularly since the angle of use of the handle is toward the user. Ideally, both the upper arm and the lower arm are at least sixteen inches in length. For use on removal of shingles from a roof it is also preferred that the upper arm attachment site and the lower arm attachment site be at least two inches apart.
In one embodiment, the upper arm has an upper arm outer end and the lower arm has a lower arm outer end, and both the upper arm outer end and the lower arm outer end are pointed. Alternatively, the upper arm outer end and the lower arm outer end could be sharp-edged and wedge-shaped.
The invention also includes a method of removing shingles attached to a roof of parallel horizontal boards having a gap between the boards and having the steps of providing a device for lifting material from a roof base having a handle and a body, the body having an upper attachment length and a lower length, wherein the upper attachment length is attached to the handle and the lower length has a lower length axis there through and is connected to an upper arm and a lower arm. In the device, the upper arm is connected to the lower length at an upper arm attachment site and the lower arm is connected to the lower length at a lower arm attachment site. There is a distance between the upper arm attachment site and the lower arm attachment site along the length of the lower length. Additionally, the upper arm and the lower arm extend generally parallel to each other in a direction ninety degrees or greater from the lower length axis.
The device is used by inserting the lower arm into the gap; pushing the device forward until the shingles touch the lower length of the body; and lifting the device until the shingles are detached from the roof base boards. The method may also include the steps of rotating the handle in a forwardly direction to lift up the shingles, with greatest lift on the shingles closest to the workman until the shingles are fully detached from the roof; and lifting the removed shingles with the device and disposing of the shingles. This method may also be used with the additional step of rotating the handle in a backwardly direction toward the user to lift up on the shingles, with greatest lift on the shingles away from the workman. Such forwardly and backwardly rotation of the handle may be repeated until the shingles are completely disengaged from the roof base boards.
In a preferred method, the shingles have a bottom layer and a top layer and the device is in contact with both the bottom layer and the top layer at the same time during removal of the shingles. The method can also be described as a method wherein the shingles are removed from the roof with the device by vertical contact with the device. Preferably, the shingles during removal are between the upper arm and the lower arm and are held in place for lifting by the upper arm and lower arm of the device.